KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia will contest a record three finals at the French Open later today, with one title already assured.
Four pairs will carry the nation's challenge at Arena Grand Paris, marking the first time Malaysia has reached three event finals at a single Super 750 tournament since the category was introduced in 2018.
The country's previous best was two, achieved at the 2023 Denmark Open, last year's Japan Open, and last week's Denmark Open.
In Denmark in 2023, Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik claimed their first World Tour title by beating Indonesia's Muhammad Shohibul Fikri-Bagas Maulana 21-13, 21-17, while Lee Zii Jia finished as runner-up in the men's singles after losing to China's Weng Hong Yang 21-12, 21-6.
At the 2025 Japan Open, Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani finished runners-up to South Korea's Kim Won Ho-Seo Seung Jae 21-16, 21-17, while Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah were also second best in the women's doubles, losing to China's Liu Sheng Shu-Tan Ning 21-15, 21-14.
Last Sunday in Denmark, Pearly-Thinaah won the title by overcoming Japan's Hinata Suzuki-Nao Yamakita 21-18, 21-11, while Aaron-Wooi Yik finished second, losing to Indonesia's Fajar Alfian-Shohibul Fikri 21-8, 21-11.
Today, an all-Malaysian men's doubles clash between world No. 11 Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun and world No. 5 Sze Fei-Izzuddin will end the country's 22-year French Open title drought.
Gan Teik Chai-Koo Kien Keat were the last Malaysians to win the event in 2004.
For Wei Chong-Kai Wun, their first Super 750 final offers an opportunity to build on their victories at the Indonesia Masters and Malaysia Masters last year.
They beat Indonesia's Raymond Indra-Nikolaus Joaquin 21-16, 21-15 in the semi-finals, while Sze Fei-Izzuddin dispatched Leo Rolly Carnando-Daniel Marthin 22-20, 21-9 in 31 minutes.
Sze Fei-Izzuddin will bring considerable momentum into the contest, having eliminated South Korea's world No. 1 pair Won Ho-Seung Jae in the quarter-finals.
In the women's doubles, world No. 4 Pearly-Thinaah will chase successive World Tour titles for the first time against Japan's world No. 3 Yuki Fukushima-Mayu Matsumoto.
The Malaysians are seeking to regain the French Open title they won in 2022, but the defending champions stand between them and a European double.
Pearly-Thinaah showed their resilience in Saturday's semi-finals, fighting back from 11-3 down in the second game to beat Japan's world No. 5 Rin Iwanaga-Kie Nakanishi 21-17, 22-20.
The toughest test belongs to world No. 31 Hoo Pang Ron-Lai Pei Jing, who face China's world No. 1 Feng Yan Zhe-Huang Dong Ping in the mixed doubles.
Pang Ron-Pei Jing earned their spot with a 21-13, 21-9 win over China's world No. 6 Guo Xin Wa-Chen Fang Hui.
Their second final together this season offers another chance to turn promise into silverware, after finishing as runners-up to Yan Zhe-Dong Ping at the China Masters last month.
A victory against the top seeds would make Pang Ron and Pei Jing Malaysia's first French Open mixed doubles champions.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd